Tower Buddies?
by Asynonymous
Summary: In a desperate attempt to help the Avengers trust each other, Director Fury orders everyone to live in the newly christened Avengers Tower. Only problem? Everyone has problems with everyone. And some of them aren't as easy to work out. Team Bonding is required. Copious amounts of it. And can the team finally learn to work together when one of their own is kidnapped? NO SLASH!
1. Chapter 1

"This is final, Mr. Stark. This isn't a request, it's an order. And I highly suggest that you follow it." Nick Fury glared over at the sulking billionaire.

"Excuse me, Peg-leg. That's my _building_ that you're ordering me to go too. And _my _money that you're blowing away with your missions. I believe I have every damn right to know why you want the most powerful people in the world to go hide in my tower for _safety. _Besides Loki and the Chitauri, there isn't really anyone who can combat us. So what's the real deal?" Fury sighed and rubbed his face.

"Oh, what the hell. You guys do well during battle. Everyone knows. But there are always these... personal issues that get in the way of you all becoming a real team. In order for everyone to fully trust you, all of you need to show that you trust each other. And right now, that hasn't happened. Goddammit Stark, I don't have time for this! You will all stay in the tower until you learn to get the fuck along. Or I will stick you in a SHIELD cabin in Russia and force you too." Tony laughed incredulously.

"You want us to get along? Look Barbossa, you've already pushed us to the limit by making us become a team. Now you want us to be best friends? No way. Sorry." Tony stood up to leave, still chuckling. For a guy who ran the most discrete and intelligence association in the world, he really could be a dumbass.

"Stark. Please, just try." Tony sighed and turned back. He grudgingly nodded.

"Fine. But if they break _anything_, even if it's Hulk, I'm billing you. I'm tired of paying for things that they break." And with that, he stormed out of the Director's office.

Fury sighed. He shuffled his papers and rose to press the intercom on the wall next to his desk.

"Agent Hill, please send in the next Avenger." He sighed and sank back. This team would be the death of him.

'One down, four to go,' Fury reminded himself grimly. Ah, the tough part (convincing Tony) was over. The rest should be easy enough.

* * *

Natasha Romanoff knocked quietly on the door. She nodded to Director Fury, who was popping an aspirin. She chuckled dryly. Interacting with Tony Stark could do that to a person.

"You wanted to talk to me, sir?" He nodded, gesturing for her to sit down. He wasted no time.

"Tony Stark has generously offered Stark Tower as a home for all the Avengers. I want you to pack your things; you will no longer be living in the SHIELD Helicarrier. Instead, you will be staying with the rest of his team at the New York Tower. This is an order, not a request, Agent Romanoff," Fury added sharply when he saw Natasha open her mouth.

"Yes sir. I was actually wondering when we were supposed to move in?" He sighed, mentally thanking her for not being the difficult woman she usually was.

"I'll give you two days, Agent." Natasha nodded and left the room, silently groaning in her head. Living with Tony Stark and Captain America in an enclosed space? _And _the Hulk, who she really didn't want to encounter again?

And Hawkeye. Natasha smiled a little. She didn't mind her partner. At least she could control him without death threats (that she could totally carry out. Natasha Romanoff invented 15 different ways to kill a man with her pinky finger). Her thoughts returned to the silent feud between Tony and Steve. She groaned, knowing she would probably be the one to break it up.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

* * *

Hawkeye pushed the door to Fury's room open tentatively. He saw Natasha's face as she came out, and he suspected that this meeting was bad news.

"Yes. Agent Barton. Tony Stark has generously offered the New York Stark Tower as the Avengers Headquarters. You and the rest of the team- along with Agent Romanoff- will be living at Stark's Tower. This is to promote team-bonding and trust, so try not to shoot anyone, alright?" Fury glared at him. He raised his hands up in defense. The trainer totally deserved it!

"This is an order, so don't waste my time by trying to protest. You have two days to pack your belongings and be ready to move out of the SHIELD helicarrier." Clint groaned.

"Seriously?! We have to live together? Fury, you know we're going-" Fury cut him off, eyes glittering angrily.

"_Director _Fury, Barton. I already told you that this is an _order. _Dismissed." Clint huffed and got up to leave.

"Barton, send in Agent Rogers." Clint almost laughed. Steve? Living with Tony? Oh, this would not go well.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Director?" Steve asked politely, sitting down. Fury glanced up from his paperwork.

"Yes, Agent Rogers. I just wanted you to know that Stark has offered his Stark Tower as an Avengers living area and Headquarters. You have two days to pack your belongings and be ready for the move. The whole purpose of this is team bonding, so try to get along with the rest of the team. It will also re-introduce you to the modern world." Steve flinched at that. He was still rather sensitive about the whole man-out-of-time issue.

"Er, yes Director. Understood." Fury dismissed him with a nod of his head. Steve fought to keep his face stoic.

However, as soon as he made it out the door, he turned straight to the gym and mentally prepared his hands for the punching bags.

Him and Stark living in Stark's home? This would definitely _not _be fun.

* * *

"Jarvis?" Tony called, stepping out of his suit. He was sent ahead to prep the Stark Tower for the six new people coming to live there.

"Present, sir. How may I be of service?" Tony smirked and paced around the top floor. He could still see the dent in which Hulk had slammed Loki. He didn't mind much. In fact, that was the only part of the tower he hadn't had fixed.

"I need a blueprint of the living quarters of this tower. 3-D, not on paper." He impatiently tapped his foot while Jarvis pulled up the models.

"Okay, Jarvis. Give each Avenger their own little apartment on the 3rd to top floor. This level will be like the Common Room. Give Thor one close to the elevator along with a balcony, and give Clint one with a balcony. Give Natasha the apartment close to the weapons room and make sure Star-Spangles has the apartment closest to the gym. My level will be the biggest and the one with the best view, obviously. You know the new R&D lab along with the new Hulk playroom? Give Bruce the closest one to that. He'll probably need it, considering he's going to live here with me and I plan on giving him a," Tony smirked to himself, "_stress-free _environment." The AI replied with a quick "Yes, sir" and began arranging the rooms.

"Sir, I have arranged it. Each floor is equipped with a fully furnished bedroom, a full bathroom, kitchen, laundry, informal dining room, and living room. Is there anything else I must add?" Tony thought for a minute.

"Yes. JARVIS, make every room soundproof. I don't want to wake up to realize how active anyone's sex lives are. And vice-versa." He winced. The AI immediately began working.

"They already are soundproof, sir. Is that all?" Tony nodded, retreating to his lab.

"Sir, may I suggest informing Ms. Potts about this?" Tony groaned and nodded bravely.

"Put her on the line."

* * *

**Okay, everyone. That's Ch.1. It's kind of a prologue/filler. I'll be getting some action in there soon. I think. :) Yeah. Anyway, review please and tell me what you think! Can I get 4 reviews for this chapter? Pretty pretty please? *cute little hulk eyes* **

**I'll be updating even if I don't get 4 reviews, don't worry. I'm not **_**that **_**type of author. :) Until next time!**

**-Asynonymous**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, here's Chapter 2! Remember to Review!**

**Epic Duck: Congratulations! You're my first reviewer! Like, yay! You'll see how she'll handle it soon. :) Thanks for the support, it was a good motivation! :***

**PlushChrome: I'm still deciding! It might be, I've read a lot of stories about him being kidnapped! :) Sorry! :(**

**Guest: Thank you, I'm glad you like it. :)**

**Mrs. Tony Stark: I love your name lol. I'm glad you like it. Thanks for reviewing. :)**

**To everyone else: This story will be changing viewpoints. It won't be 1st person, but you will understand their thoughts and stuff. :)**

**Enjoy. :)**

* * *

Pepper groaned silently and quickly silenced the ringing phone. She slowly put it up to her ear.

"Hello, Pepper Potts speaking." She didn't look at the caller ID. She was furiously scanning a long contract. Another company wanted to make a deal with Stark INC. and they were rather known for being shady.

Her personal assistant (the only one she trusts with this) is enjoying her day off with her boyfriend. The other interns aren't even able to make coffee correctly, let alone check a high-stake contract. So, naturally, she was stuck with looking through the contract.

"Hey Pepper. Wanna eat dinner together? We should probably do something really special today and tomorrow, considering they will be our last days of freedom. Hmm, I want Italian, how about you? And by the way, the Avengers are going to be moving into the tower. I'll have the jet pick you up in 15 minutes and then we can go to that great little Italian place you love in Italy. They're moving here in 2 days. Does that sound good? Great. I'll see you in 15 minutes. Love you, bye." Pepper heard him hurriedly disconnect the call and sat there in shock.

The Avengers were living with them? They were moving in in two days? Why would Tony offer to let the Avengers live with them? At first, he didn't even want her living with him (he got over that when they became serious).

Pepper sighed. She had a strong feeling Fury had made him do this. To help them bond.

Not that she knew anything about that. Pepper ran a small hand through her strawberry blond hair. She had 15 minutes before she could yell at him. Pepper went back to her work, smiling.

* * *

"Pepper. Wow. You look... Wow." Tony grinned happily as soon as he saw her. She did look amazing in her regular white blouse and black pencil skirt. Even though she wasn't wearing any special makeup or her hair wasn't professionally done, he thought she was exceptionally beautiful.

"Tony Stark, don't try to sweet-talk your way out of giving me an explanation," she said poking his arc-reactor. He could see that she was fighting a smile.

"Explanation? I just wanted to take my girlfriend on a nice dinner after missing her. Can't a guy do that once in a while?" Tony asked, only half-joking. He had missed Pepper. With her running his business and him help rebuild New York, there wasn't a lot of time for it to be both of them.

"Stark..." Pepper warned, not even bothering to hide her smile. Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Fury made me do it Pepper. It's for 'team bonding'. I feel like they just wanted to dump them somewhere where they couldn't destroy SHIELD equipment. So let's just enjoy our night, okay? We won't be alone for long." He gave her his famous puppy dog eyes. She smiled.

"Alright. Tony, I want to go home. We can do something special inside the tower." He raised his eyebrows and lips in a lazy smirk.

"Turn the jet around." And they celebrated their last full night alone.

* * *

2 days later...

* * *

Steve politely held open the door for Bruce, Clint, and Natasha. They nodded their thanks and proceeded to the elevator. The doors closed and a polite British accent sounded from the walls.

"Top floor." Steve held his breath as the elevator shot up quickly. There was finally a pleasant ding that cut through the tense silence.

He saw the room they were walking into and gasped. It was practically 25 times bigger than his room at the helicarrier. Damn. He knew Stark was rich, but this?

'Weapons must have paid really well,' Steve thought dryly.

* * *

Natasha entered the room and smiled. It was so much better than the stupid helicarrier.

* * *

There were couches strewn everywhere along with a tv and even a (dormant now) fireplace. There was a bar in the corner as well.

'How clever. Stark puts his entryway right by the bar,' she thought dryly.

But the best part were the panes of glass that let a person view the skyline and the large balcony.

"Welcome... to your new Common Room," Stark stated dramatically. He was sitting in a rolling chair and he swivelled around to see them, smirking. Natasha sighed.

"Wait, this is just one room? Not the entire apartment?" Steve blurted. Tony sends him a condescending smile.

"No, dear Captain. This is the common room. This," he gestured around himself vaguely, "is the room where you come to bond with each other and all that. You can't touch that when I'm not around though," he added, pointing to the bar.

Natasha rolled her eyes and went to pour herself a Russian vodka. She needed it.

"I wouldn't touch that..." he sang. She ignored him and went to grab a glass. Instantly, there was a shock. She felt tingly all over and then it was gone. She whirled around and stormed to Stark, grabbing his shirt. He gave her a nervous smile.

"Jarvis, let Romanoff pour herself a drink." The AI responded positively and Natasha stormed over to the bar. Surprisingly, there were a lot of her favorite drinks. Along with some of Clint's. Weird.

Stark came with her and poured himself a drink as well. He didn't say anything about the drink selection and she didn't bring it up either.

"Tony... The tour?" Bruce piped up. He nodded shortly and whirled around, striding towards the elevator. They filed in quietly, nobody really speaking. Tony groaned. Why were they so freaking silent?

"This level is the more 'living' level. See, this," Tony says, showing them into the room, "is a formal dining room." He led them to a giant kitchen with sleek metal appliances.

"So this is the kitchen. Can any of you guys cook?" Steve raised his hand slowly. It was like school all over again.

"Excellent. You can use this to make us meals, Captain." Tony smirked. Steve nodded, looking eager to begin.

"There's also a gym and training room here," Tony opened a large door. It was a fully-equipped gym, from gun shooting areas (he could tell Natasha was itching to try them out) and archery targets (advanced ones. Clint was practically drooling) to the regular weights and treadmills.

"We're expected to use this room frequently. Something about staying fit and ready to battle." Tony waved his hand dismissively. As if. He led them somewhere else.

"Banner, this is your R&D. You're going to love it!" Bruce grinned happily. He thanked Tony for a personal lab. He felt that Tony liked him (and Hulk) the best of all and he was rather grateful.

Tony personally asked Bruce to move into the tower. He waved away his concerns about breaking everything in the tower.

"What's that door?" Clint asked, pointing at a connecting room. Tony turned to Bruce proudly.

"That," he said, pausing dramatically, "is Hulk's playroom. It connects to all the rooms you might go into. It gives you a chance to let off some steam. Don't worry, it's not a cage," he added hastily, catching sight of Bruce's expression.

"You can come in and out. But it will help you control Hulk. I think he'll like it." Tony, unlike many people, liked the Hulk. Bruce smiled. A genuine smile.

"Thanks, Tony. I think he does." They continued on. Tony stopped at a room with double doors.

"This is the media room. There's pretty much every movie that's worth watching on here. If there isn't, you can just buy one, I don't care. There's also a popcorn maker and some pretty decent recliners. Alright, next floor."

* * *

"These are the living quarters. This is Thor's, that is yours, Rogers. Romanoff, this one's yours and Clint, you're her neighbor. Banner, this is your new apartment, and this one over here is mine," he said, pointing at the nice looking double doors.

"You guys can refurnish your apartments, I don't care. We also have some rules. They will be in your apartment. If you break one, well, don't. Now go explore. We'll be eating dinner in 1.5 hours." Tony said, shrugging carelessly.

* * *

Natasha stepped into her apartment and gasped. It was spacious. The decor was tasteful but she knew she would regret it. She set down her suitcase. All of her belongings went in one suitcase. Pathetic.

She moved to the bedroom. It was big enough, with a very decent-sized closet. She liked the furniture. Big bed, nightstand, a moderate bookshelf, desk and tv. But the colors! She shuddered.

The bathroom was great. There was a jacuzzi tub and a big shower with a rainhead and jets. The bathroom was stocked with her favorite products as well. Tony really went all-out, she thought happily.

The kitchen was small compared to the great one outside. There was the basic amount of ingredients for a few meals. She sighed. She was the worst cook ever. She even burned toast to such a crips that even the ants didn't want it!

The living room was nice, especially the furniture. There was a cream L-shaped couch and a glass coffee table. There was a soft, plush rug right in front of the fireplace. The flatscreen tv was giant and underneath was a little cabinet. The fireplace was nice, big enough for a decent fire. The glass windows were in her bedroom and her living room. She had an amazing view of the New York skyline.

She loved it. She just had to replace the sheets and towels and it would be perfect.

"Thank you, Tony." She said quietly.

* * *

Steve stepped into his apartment and smiled softly. It was perfect. Simple, but to his taste. He flopped onto the bed and checked the clock on the bedside table. It was 7. He leaned back and closed his eyes. After all, he had one hour to kill.

"Thank you, Stark." He said, already closing his eyes.

Maybe living here wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

Bruce pushed open the door and grinned. It would suit him just fine. He beelined for the extra door and took the stairs.

His smile widened when he realized this was the entrance to his personal lab.

"Thank you Tony." He breathed.

* * *

Clint stepped into his room. He surveyed it and finally decided that it was alright. He liked it. He found another door that seemingly led to nowhere.

"Sir, that door leads to Romanoff's apartment." Clint smiled softly. He was glad to have her close in case he had gotten another nightmare. They were sleeping together long before they were _sleeping _together.

Not that anyone knew.

"Thanks Stark." He said, grinning widely.

* * *

** Alright, that's chapter 2! I'm sorry, I know it's super boring. I just want them to get familiar with their surroundings first. Next chapter is an extremely awkward dinner and a mission!**

**P.S. Review! Thanks to everyone who did! If you plan to follow or favorite this story, couldn't you leave a small review saying that you liked it or you found something to fix or even say hi? :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**WOW! I am literally blown away for the response I had gotten for the last chapter! Jeez, guys, this is beyond amazing! This is, as my friend would say LIKE WUT THAT"S TOTALLY AWESOME! I'm so grateful and honored that so many of you had liked my story!**

**Review answering time!**

**Avengerscrazygal: I'm glad you like this! :) Thanks for reviewing! It always makes me really happy when I get positive guest reviews! So thank you! :)**

**MeHasBadGrammar: I love your username! Thank you, I'm ecstatic that you feel that way! :)**

**Johncorn: Let's just say he has a rather... electrifying entrance. ;). Okay, I'm sorry that was stupid. He'll be at dinner, I'll tell you that. :)**

**Penguin357: Oh, you were the kind guest reviewer! Well, thank you for actually reviewing both of my chapters! Thank you so much! Oh, yes, it's a very fragile and temporary peace. It's going to go down soon. :) Stay tuned! :)**

**Loki'sArmy0262: Aww, thank you! Thor will be making his dramatic entrance in this chapter. Just in time for dinner! :)**

**Padaloki: OMFG you actually reviewed! And read it! And followed?! GUYS OMFG THE PADALOKI has read my story! I mean, ehem. I'm glad you liked it. :) It's Post-Avengers and yeah, I know what you mean. I just thought the readers would like to see both parts: Fury's irritation and Tony's poorly concealed bad sportsmanship. :) Sorry if it was confusing, I'll go fix that someday. :) Thank you for actually listening to my blabberings. :)**

**I just want to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! I'm glad you guys liked my story enough to actually say so! Especially the ones who reviewed! Not that I have a problem with the people who favorited and followed. :)**

**Okay, onto the story. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Tony was listened avidly for thunder. He suspected that Thor would be joining them soon. He hadn't left Asgard after taking Loki and the tesseract back with him. He was supposed to be joining them for dinner. Then he'd show him to his apartment.

Tony sighed and trudged back to his lab. So far, nothing interesting had happened. The rest of the team hadn't even really talked to him. They hadn't even said thank you! Well, besides Bruce, of course.

You would think Captain America would have better manners than a person who turned into a green rage monster...

Tony ran a hand through his already mussed hair. Normally, those things didn't bother him. Most people didn't express gratitude. Hell, he used to be one of those people. He still kind of was, if he was being honest.

Oh God, Pepper was influencing him again. He shook his head. That woman was turning him soft. He checked the time. 8.13 pm. 17 more minutes until they had dinner. He hoped Pepper would show up, or else the dinner would be extremely boring.

And Tony Stark didn't do boring.

* * *

Worlds away, a man strode towards a bridge made entirely of magic and color.

"Heimdall, please open the bi-frost to Midgard." Thor requested hurrily. The guard turned his penetrating golden eyes on Thor.

"I will be dropping you on the Stark Tower of Midgard. They seem to be expecting you for dinner, Odinson." Thor nodded respectfully and gripped his hammer.

"Thank you, Heimdall. Take care." Heimdall gave a short nod and slowly lowered his sword.

Thor took a deep breath. He would be seeing his comrades soon, he realized excitedly.

* * *

Tony grinned as he heard a large clap of thunder. He ran to the Common Room and looked out to see a gigantic god with a hammer land right on the roof.

"Man of Iron! It is good to reunite with you once more. I hear we will be dining soon?" Thor boomed, clapping Tony on the back. Tony staggered forward and smirked.

"Yeah, Goldilocks. I'll give you a quick tour, come on." Tony dragged him along. Thor set down his hammer and followed enthusiastically.

'Well,' Tony thought to himself as Thor chattered on about Asgard, 'at least this one makes conversation.'

* * *

"Friend Stark, these living quarters are too generous. Thank you, friend." Thor clapped a hand on his shoulder and his knees almost buckled.

"Anytime. Just don't hit me again." Thor nodded solemnly and apologized. Tony checked his watch and sighed in relief. 8.21.

"Alright, big guy. Go get ready; we're eating out for dinner." Tony himself headed to his suite to pick out his clothes.

But where the hell was Pepper?

* * *

Steve had yet another dilemma: he didn't know what to wear.

Where were they even going for dinner?

He wished Stark would actually give him details instead of leaving him floundering about.

But that wasn't really Tony's style, was it?

In the end, he gave up and threw on a comfortable t-shirt and jeans.

* * *

Likewise, Natasha was having the same problem. She, however, solved it differently.

"JARVIS? How should I dress tonight?" She asked, perusing her suitcase. The AI seemed to hesitate.

"Well, Mrs. Romanoff, I cannot say where the reservations have been placed, but I recommend dressing formally." She smiled and picked out a sleek black dress that reached a little past mid-thigh and her favorite black heels.

She was dressed to impress.

And she knew she would succeed.

* * *

"Sir, Ms. Potts has entered the building." Tony grinned, relieved. He straightened out his tie.

"JARVIS, tell Pepper to be ready to dress up. We're going out to dinner with everyone and she's gotta look amazing. Not, of course" he hastened to add, "that she doesn't."

"Yes, sir. Good catch, if I may add." Tony smirked and turned back to the mirror. It was the first team dinner, and he had no idea how it would go. He mentally ran over the red-zones (things not to bring up). So far, his list read:

Loki (Thor and Clint. One would be sad while the other would try to take your eye out with an arrow)

Anything about Russia or Red Room (Dear Natasha's a surprisingly sensitive person for a master assassin)

Anything that would cause him and Rogers to get along (enough said)

Stuff Rogers would enjoy talking about

Things that would make Bruce hulk out (smashing the table- and possibly the entire restaurant- is bad manners, according to Pepper)

Anything dirty or rude (Or else Pepper would be angry. And Pepper angry is rather terrifying, no matter who you are. Especially if she has power over you. )

'Well,' Tony thought as he scanned the list, 'that just about leaves the weather. This will go swimmingly.'

"Hey. How did it go?" Pepper softly asked, kissing him lightly on the cheek. He turned and kissed her full on the lips.

"Good. We're going out to dinner." He murmured between kisses. His hands slid downward to her waist. She slapped them away, leaving him pouting.

"I know, JARVIS was kind enough to inform me." She pulled a few dresses out of the closet. One was red and the other was a royal blue.

"Which one." Tony looked over each one. He pretended to think hard, even though he knew which one from the beginning.

"The blue. Red makes you look too sexy. I don't need the entire restaurant drooling over you." Pepper laughed and shook her head.

"I can hold my ground against a few men, Stark. If I can handle you, then I can handle anyone." Nevertheless, she pulled on the blue one. It wasn't long, only reaching a point above her knees. It was a sleeveless dress.

"You know what, I change my mind. Wear something that makes you look like a nun." Pepper giggled.

"Okay, I'll just touch up my hair and makeup and we'll be ready to go." Tony groaned.

"Yay for awkward dinners." He mumbled, bringing out his phone.

"By the way, Tony, you can't use your phone during dinner. Try to be social and polite for once, will you, Stark?" Tony grumbled. She smiled sweetly as she poked her head out.

"Don't worry, you'll manage. I know you will."

* * *

Everyone met at the lobby. Clint was decked in a long-sleeve shirt and jeans, while Natasha was in a sleek black dress. Steve was in a regular t-shirt and jeans (seriously, if he went to a fancy restaurant without Tony, they'd make him wash the dishes and take out the trash). Bruce was in his regular dress shirt and pants while Thor had wrestled himself in a nice blue shirt and some jeans (Tony didn't mind Thor being a little out-of-place. He was kind of a demi-god. But fancy restaurant meant fancy clothing even in the 1640's, so Spangles had no excuse).

Pepper flashed a smile at the group.

"Hello, I'm Pepper. Tony's girlfriend/assistant/nanny. It's nice to finally meet you all. And of course, nice to see you again, Natal-no, Natasha. Your new haircut looks nice." Natasha nodded and smiled back politely.

Tony noted that she kindly overlooked the fact that Pepper just called her her fake name. Which she probably did to show that she was a little upset that Natasha deceived Tony like that. God, he loved Pepper.

"Pepper, this is Spangles, or Captain America. That's Clint, but you can call him Katniss. You know Natasha already, yes? And this is Thor, also known as Hammer Time. And of course, Bruce." Pepper nodded and flashed a smile at each of them.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," was Steve's reply while Clint smirked and replied, "You deserve a medal, Pepper. You can actually keep Stark in line?" (which made Pepper blush and Tony scowl playfully) while Bruce just smiled.

"Alright, time for dinner." Tony said, sweeping out of the lobby. Everyone rolled their eyes and followed.

Dramatics were so totally his thing.

* * *

"Excuse me, we have a reservation. Private room, please." The waitress didn't even look up as Steve spoke.

"Yeah, the private rooms are all taken. Sorry. Now, what was your reservation name under?" Steve started in surprise. Were restaurant staff always so rude?! Tony chuckled and leaned over.

"Move over Spangles. Let me handle this one," he winked before turning back to the snobby waitress. Steve rolled his eyes. Someone needed to take him down a few (hundred) pegs.

"Excuse me, we want a private room. Preferably in the back, away from the crowd." The waitress huffed in annoyance.

"I already told you, sir-" she broke off midsentence by looking up and seeing Tony smirking.

"Yes, darling?" She recovered quickly, closing her mouth and grabbing some menus.

"Yes, sir. Right this way. My apologies, your waiter will be out shortly. Enjoy your meal." The waitress hurried away, trying to cover the blush on her cheeks. Steve rolled his eyes.

'Marvelous,' he thought, groaning internally. 'Another ego boost for Stark. Just what he needs.'

* * *

As soon as the team (and Pepper) sat down, she sensed a big problem.

She bit her lip to keep herself from laughing out loud. She couldn't help it though; it was so middle school and stupid.

The Avengers were cliquey.

Oh, god. That was so stupid. It seemed that Tony and Steve were the leaders. Of course. They were practically destined to be the opposites.

Steve and Natasha were both not fans of Stark, obviously. Tony and Clint seemed rather friendly (given their humor, Pepper understood) while Bruce and Tony were tight. However, Thor was like the bridge for both cliques, seeing as he was probably neutral ground.

Pepper leaned over to Thor and smiled. He grinned back. Wow, he had a nice smile.

"Yes, Lady Pepper?" He asked politely. She smiled at the name.

"Hey, Thor. I was wondering how things in Asgard are going?" And just like that, his eyes lit up and words spilled out of his mouth. Score one for Pepper.

* * *

Tony groaned again. Why was nobody talking to him? Natasha and Clint were murmuring to each other, Thor and Pepper were engaged, and Bruce was striking up a conversation with (insert another groan here) Rogers.

He began tugging on Pepper's dress. She just pushed him away, being absorbed by Thor's tale of the castle of Asgard. He tried a different method. He placed his hand on her thigh and tried to travel upward. He jumped slightly because of the voice in his ear.

"Anthony Stark, if you go any higher, I will stab you with a fork," Pepper hissed, and Tony felt himself smirk.

"But Lady Pepper," he whined, using Thor's name for her, "the rewards far outweigh the risks." She rolled her eyes and turned back to Thor. He then gave up and turned to Clint. Natasha had already turned towards Banner and Roger's conversations.

"Hey, where was your new mission again, Merida?" Clint glared, but brightened again at the thought of discussing a mission.

"Oh, this one was rather badass! It was basically wiping out a terrorist group. There were a few conspirators that we were sent to, um, 'persuade'." Tony felt an angry heat inside, just like he always did when he found references to his previous life. He found his interest flaring.

"Where? What's the group called?" Tony asked, trying to get more information. Or so he told himself.

At this point, he was just glad someone was talking to him. Clint waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh, nobody special. It was a long way, Afghanistan. God, that place is full of batshit crazy terrorists. It was the eleven necklaces? 9 bracelets? Something like that." Tony's blood ran cold.

"The ten rings?" He managed to choke out, gripping Pepper's thigh. She winced and turned to reprimand him, but stopped when she heard what Clint said next.

"Yes, 10 Rings. We just finished wiping out the entire organization. They are so pathetic." Clint chuckled, but Tony couldn't breathe.

He felt the water being poured over him. Felt a cold liquid settling in his lungs.

Remembered being tired. Loss. Yinsen. Death. Fire. Rage.

But mostly, he remembered the pain. The bone-crushing, spirit-killing, mind-sharpening pain that weighed upon him like a wet blanket.

Pepper stared at him, worry obvious in her eyes. Along with Natasha, who had tuned into the conversation at the last (and least unfortunate for Clint) moment.

"I'm alright, Pepper. Seriously, Natasha. I'm fine. That's cool man. Nice job." The entire table had been listening, which effectively killed the conversation.

Clint, Bruce, Steve, and Thor (especially Thor. He kept asking, "what is an Afghanistan? Is it another animal, like the alligator you people speak of?) all looked clueless, while Natasha was clearly watching for his reaction and Pepper hovered protectively.

Great. Just what they needed.

* * *

The food hadn't come yet, and Tony was getting increasingly bored.

Nobody had been talking, just staring at the menu and pointing out weird words in a booming voice (Thor, and Clint who mocked him behind his back), or staring intently at the tablecloth (Steve) or grabbing a napkin and pen and jotting down random equations about their newest experiment (surprisingly, this was Bruce, not Tony).

Tony, on the other hand, had finally been granted permission to entertain himself using his phone by Pepper (well, what else was he supposed to do? Obviously, the people hadn't been willing to do it for him), who was just watching everyone (just like Natasha, who was warily keeping an eye on Thor and Clint) despairingly.

She was probably wondering why nobody talked to each other.

He reminded himself to never go out to dinner with these people again unless they really 'bonded'.

He was never going to have normal dinners in the tower either, was he?

* * *

As soon as they arrived home, Tony beelined to his bedroom. He pulled off his suit hastily and tugged on a sweatshirt (the lab was remarkably chilly at night) and sweats. He was going to tinker with an old suit before bed. It had failed spectacularly (his stuff didn't just fail or succeed. They went above and beyond both ways. So they either miserably failed or miraculously succeeded), and Tony wanted to know why.

Pepper let him go without complaint. She was undoubtedly regretting forcing him to go through with that dinner. It was her idea, anyway. Silly woman.

He hadn't expected to fall asleep there.

Well, oops.

* * *

He also hadn't expected to be woken up by the alarms.

He had woken with such a start that he had banged his head on the wall. He swore furiously and asked for JARVIS.

"Fucking hell, JARVIS. What is going on?" The butler's voice seemed to be tinged with... concern?

"Director Fury is calling for the Avengers to assemble, sir. Apparently, there's an urgent mission waiting for you. He refused to give any more details. The other Avengers have awakened and are preparing for battle. Sir, may I suggest that this should be the time to try out your new suit?" Tony nodded.

"Yes. Dummy! Bring me the bracelets. Quickly!" Dummy quickly whirred over to him with the bracelets. He affectionately patted the cone on the robot's head before snapping the silver straps on.

"Alright, JARVIS. Deploy." The suit pieces flew towards him immediately, attaching themselves to his body.

He assumed the iron man signature pose and smirked.

"I never get tired of that," he admitted, straightening up and moving around some suit parts.

"Alright, JARVIS. Let's go kick some villain ass," he said before blasting out of his lab.

"Of course, sir."

* * *

**Ha, I love writing JARVIS. Sometimes, I wonder if he really just is a British supergenius locked inside of a room with screens around him. :) I'm so cuckoo.**

**Anyway, I just wanted to say that I have nothing against Afghanistan itself. It's just that it would probably be portrayed in a negative light when it came to Tony.**

**And it wasn't a lot of people they had to kill. It was probably just the sons of the men who did some plotting or something. **

**And some of you may argue that the dinner wasn't awkward, but I definitely think it was for Tony. He's not really used to silences, you know? And he'd been banned from his phone, poor baby. :)**

**P.S The pairings will be Pepper/Tony and Clint/Natasha. Sorry, but no slash. I don't think I could write that. Maybe Steve or Bruce will get an OC, but I doubt it. :) Sorry if that disappoints you. I hope you keep reading regardless. I just didn't want to get any hopes up... :)**

**Until next time. :) *waves and walks toward the sunset***


	4. Chapter 4

**I just wanted to thank every single person who reviewed, followed or favorited. The response to this story has BLOWN me away into the winds of Antarctica! Sorry, that was dumb. :)**

**This will be my last update before school starts. My updates will definitely get slower, but that does not under any circumstances mean that I have abandoned this story. **  
**Remember to review please! :) I'll miss you guys!**

**REPLY TO REVIEW:**

**Penguin357: Okay, you will not be able to believe how happy your reviews make me! :) Thank you for the cookies, I have happily feasted on them. And in return, I dedicate this chapter to you for being so damn awesome. :) You'll see what happens to them in this chapter *tries to smile mysteriously but fails so utterly miserably that she stops this weird reply* okay, bye now. :) Thank you for reading, you've been awesome.**

**.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Tony hovered in the air by the quinjet being flown by Clint and Natasha. It was carrying Rogers (fully dressed up) and Banner (who was trying to calm the Hulk down).

"Alright, there it is," Tony said, pointing towards the massive helicarrrier. They had used it as their base even after the whole Tesseract issue.

Tony sighed as he entered through the quinjet area. The suit immediately began deconstructing itself into a suitcase. He smirked and turned to face an irate director.

"Well, you look _furiou_s." Tony commented seriously. The director's piercing eyes narrowed.

"This isn't funny, Stark. Come to the debriefing room right now." As soon as Fury's back was turned, Clint cracked a smile.

"Wow, it's really got his _Nic_k-ers in a twist, hasn't it?" Tony held up his hands for a high-five, because seriously? That was a classic. Natasha rolled her eyes and muttered something like, 'boys' before stalking off in Fury's direction. Steve rolled his eyes before following, while Banner just smiled and waited for Tony and Clint.

* * *

"Look, Avengers. We have another idiot who decided to recreate the super-serum. He's a cross between Banner and Steve. He's a human hopped up on about 20 steroids. Very hard to kill, but not impossible. He's got an army too. Smaller than him, but not as hard to destroy. They can be killed like a normal human, it just takes a lot more force. I want you to kill the army but bring back the scientist." Fury looked each of them in the eye, and Tony felt his mouth open before he registered the words he was speaking.

"Why him?" Fury sighed and reached into his desk drawer. He drew out some case-thing that was black and shiny. Tony held up his hands in half-fear and half-amusement.

He knew the Director would love to shoot him (he wasn't the only one), but he liked to think that he was needed for the Avengers, at least.

"Woah, Fury. Calm your t- I mean," Tony hastily changed his word choice, "calm down. I just wanted to know if there was any reason. Don't bring out your gun." Fury looked at the object and almost smiled.

But he didn't, because he was Nick Fury and he'd be damned if Tony Stark would not get the best of him. Even if Stark was dashing, intelligent, and pretty fucking hot.

Well, that's Tony's philosophy. But he might be a bit biased.

Fury sighed, and Tony mentally pats himself on the back for getting on the Director's nerves once again.

Not that he has to try that hard anyway. Fury's irritation is practically tied to Tony's existence.

"Relax, Stark. This is a medical canister. It has my aspirins in it. You do that to my mental health. Anyway, we need the scientist because he used to be one of us. He was a SHIELD scientist before he went rogue. We also want to make sure he cannot pass along the information to any other person. He came the closest to recreating the formula; he could be useful on our side." Tony nodded.

People still haven't given up on recreating the formula for Rogers and even Banner's. If anything, the New York incident had only added the metaphorical fuel to the metaphorical fire.

"Got it, Toothless." Fury turned his angry one-eye glare on him and went dangerously silent.

"Excuse me?" Tony just smirked and began to explain himself.

"You've seen 'How to Train Your Dragon, yes? So the dragon toothless is called Night Fury. I thought it made sense." Clint and Banner laughed openly while Natasha fought back a smile. Tony mentally pat himself on the back. Making the super-spider smile wasn't an easy feat.

Steve, however, looked disapproving and confused. Whatever. The captain had a stick so far up his ass that it practically fell out of his mouth. Tony shuddered at that mental image.

And Fury? For the second time in the day, he almost smiles. But then again, Tony reasoned, he probably remembered how much respect he would lose and that's why he chose to scowl at him.

"Whatever, Stark. Just go do your job." Tony gave him a mocking salute.

"Aye Aye, Captain." Fury brought out the canister again.

* * *

"Alright, I'll fly ahead to scout the area. Then you guys can catch up," Tony instructed, preparing the thrusters. He saw Bruce pacing through the windows of the quinjet.

"I don't know, Tony. Maybe you shouldn't go by yourself. It might be really dangerous. Why don't you take Thor? He can fly and he'll scout with you." Tony would never admit it, but he was a little touched by his friend's concern. Not many people genuinely cared for him and his well-being.

"Yes, Friend Stark. I would be honored to fly with you and your armor of iron." Tony rolled his eyes and smirked.

"You know, Hammertime, I think I can handle this. Thanks man." And with that, he powered the thrusters and shot off.

* * *

Tony neared the location, a deserted town in Nevada, and made JARVIS scan the entire area for signs of life.

"Sir, there is supernatural activity about 1.25 miles from this area. The signals are strange; they are not quite human, but they are not quite beasts. Shall I set a course for there, sir?" Tony nodded.

"Hurry, JARVIS. We're the scouts; these little mutants don't seem to be easily distracted." JARVIS set a flight path and they flew on discretely.

He ended up hovering above a building and looking down onto the destroyed streets. He suppressed a shudder of revulsion at the sight of the army.

They were vaguely humanoid, except they were like the hulk in muscle and size. 'And probably the brain department too,' Tony thought wryly. The Hulk usually only had one thing on his mind: smash. The monsters were frothing at the mouth and hunching over themselves, snarling loudly. Tony swore softly.

"Alright, Black Widow, I don't know if your guns will be able to touch them. They're like human hulks. Bring lots of ammo. You'll need it. Hawkeye, bring explosive arrows. Lots of them. Banner, get ready to suit up. The Hulk's got playmates. We'll need everyone on the job. Hurry. I'll be looking for the psycho doctor." He heard Natasha draw in a sharp breath.

"Alright, Stark. We're coming in. Don't engage without us; this could get messy." Tony voiced his affirmation and scanned the area for the doctor.

He didn't find any signals of the Doctor. There were about 100 of the human steroids, he noted. But there was no distinguishable difference between any of them. In fact, there was no difference at all…

Tony cursed and almost blasted himself for being so idiotic.

"WIDOW! These, these human steroids. This isn't an army of test subjects; it's an army of clones. The scientist must have injected himself with the serum and then found a way to clone himself." He heard Natasha groan a few curse words in Russian.

"So what now?" He asked, waiting for her instructions. He felt a pause before he heard Steve's voice.

"Just wait. We'll have to track down the original and stop him from making more copies. Then we can contain the clones they already have."

"Right," replied Tony before he flew off. He flew high up, hoping to get a wider range for scan.

"JARVIS, scan the area again. Look for the original. Try to see where most of them are appearing." He said briskly, using his sensors to help his AI along.

"Sir, they seem to be appearing about 1 mile from here." Tony nodded and set off in the direction. When he arrived, he groaned. He could clearly see the scientist surrounded by many of the weird 'soldiers'. He saw him move a lever on a strange machine and another clone pop out. Tony nearly snorted because of the simplicity and the way the process seemed like one similar to a movie, not real life.

"Right, inform me when you guys are nearing the area. I'll take out his copy machine then," Tony said after relaying the process to the team. He heard Clint chuckle disbelievingly before he inched closer to the group. He knew he would have a clear shot when he chose to shoot.

Now all he could do was wait.

* * *

"Alright, we'll be there in two minutes, Stark. Go ahead and blast the machine." Steve's voice rang through Tony's suit. He smirked gleefully and powered his thruster, aiming carefully at the machine. But wait! He needed a statement. He racked his brain for a few seconds.

"Don't you think one of you is enough of a nightmare for the world, Doctor?" Tony let his automated voice ring through the relatively quiet area. The giant scientist turned back to him, shock written all over his features. They finally settled into a knowing smirk.

"Ahh, hello, Mr. Iron Man. It's quite an honor to meet you, despite the circumstances. I suppose you're here to stop me?" He asked, chuckling lightly. Tony snorted quietly.

"Yeah, no hard feelings, Dr. Maniac. Gotta do what you gotta do, right? Don't worry, I'll pay you another visit in your _cell _and we can exchange the pleasantries then. Now, if you'll excuse me," Tony replied, firing up his thrusters, "I have a machine to destroy." He aimed at the machine again and let out a powerful blast. He was shocked when he saw the machine simply absorb the blast and spit out another clone. The crazy doctor laughed, his black beady eyes gleaming.

"Well, I should have told you that it wouldn't work out for everyone if you had done that. But fortunately for me-and rather unfortunately for you- I created the machine to absorb any source of energy and you just helped me create a rather powerful soldier. One, I may add, that will now kill you, Mr. Stark. So I guess we'll have to cancel our prison date. It was a pleasure." The scientist swiftly leaped out of the way and shouted orders at the rising soldier that was created from his blast of energy.

It lunged, flying at the building he was flying above. He shot another beam of energy at the monster, slowing it down. Tony quickly took off, yelling at his teammates to _hurry the fuck up_.

The monster, or Blasty, as he had christened it, had roared angrily (sounding eerily similar to the Hulk) when Tony had shot out of his reach. Tony resorted to just flying around, waiting for the rest of his team to come and help him. He blasted the creature constantly, looking for a weak chink in their armor of human flesh and muscles.

He nearly fell out of the sky in relief when he heard a distant roar and a blot of green that was consistently getting larger and larger.

"Thanks, Banner. It took you all long enough," he said, blasting the creepy clone in the face. It scrabbled around blindly and Tony aimed another blast at it's heart.

Bingo. It fell like a stone, finally still and silent. Tony smirked to himself. Victory.

He flew around, looking for the doctor. Maybe he had blasted the wrong object. Next time, he would aim his repulsors at the sick fuck who made him leave his lab.

"Guys, you handle the clones. Thor, I need you to come with me. You seem to be particularly talented in destroying delicate things; I need you and your hammer." He heard a roar (coming from a demi-god, not a rage monster) and saw a flash of red flying straight toward him.

* * *

It didn't take them very long to find the scientist cowering behind many of his 'guards'. Thor swung his hammer and took out almost half of them while Tony just blasted at their faces and chests. They finally reached the scientist and his machine, leaving behind a pile of 'dead' clones.

"Thor, take care of the machine. I'll get the man." And without waiting for an affirmative, Tony blasted at the scientist.

The blast was aimed at his stomach, something that would injure, not kill. The scientist doubled over but swung a fist at Tony, almost reaching his faceplate.

He heard multiple clangs and found Thor hacking away at the machine with his hammer. While the object was built to withstand energy blasts, it wasn't holding up well against Thor's mighty hammer and impressive brawn.

"Well, now that we got that taken care of," Tony said, turning back to the doubled over scientist, "you're kind of under arrest for being a nuisance. And because you really annoyed me. So yeah, come quietly or I'll set the Hulk on you. And I can't guarantee there would even be enough left of you after that." Tony went to grab the man, but the scientist was suddenly extremely quick. He grabbed Iron Man's hand and pressed it into his chest. The emergency control kicked in and the weapon fired, tearing through the monster's body.

The scientist-hopped-up-on-steroids suddenly became the scientist-hopped-up-on-steroids-with-a-hole-in-his -chest. Tony hadn't even processed it yet. Why would the man kill himself? With _his _blasters?

Thor turned around at exactly the wrong moment. His eyebrows furrowed as he took in the scene.

"But Man of Iron," he began, surveying the damage to the body, "we were to keep the scientist alive. What have you done?"

* * *

Thor had told everyone what had happened with Tony and the scientist.

Or rather, his version of what happened. According to him, Tony found the man defenseless and immediately fired at his chest.

Nobody believed that the man had done it, not him. But they didn't mind too much.

Natasha and Clint just shrugged. They had missions go wrong once in a while. It happened. No use crying over it.

Bruce was sporting a giant headache and wasn't really in the mood to talk until he found clothes. And even then, he wasn't really into choosing sides.

Thor got over it eventually, declaring that he too had gone against orders many times. But Steve- Steve was catatonic.

'What a whiny bitch,' Tony thought irritably as Captain America began his rant.

"Stark! How can you mess up that simple order?! We were supposed to bring him in, not put a hole in the man's chest! You had one job, Stark! One! And that was to be the scout! I didn't think that even you could mess up a mission so badly. Even the Hulk follows orders better than you. STARK! Are you even paying attention to me?"

Tony had turned away from him mid-lecture, choosing to treat his minimal wounds. There were a few bumps and bruises from where the supersoldiers had landed a hit.

"Shut up Rogers. The man pointed it at himself and my automatic controls fired. It wasn't my fault," Tony insisted.

"Seriously?! Who would believe that cock-and-bull story? Does anyone here believe that?" Steve raged. Tony had never seen him this mad. It was just a mission!

"Just a mission? _Just a mission?!_" Steve practically shouted. He must have said that out loud.

"This isn't just about the damn mission, Stark. This is about your selfishness and how you can never follow your orders. This is a team. You only look out for yourself. That's not what the Avengers is." Tony felt his blood run cold and his hackles rise.

"What are you saying? That I don't belong on this team? That the Avengers would be better off without me?" Tony gave a humorless laugh and looked around, staring each of them in the eye.

"Is that what you all think? That I'm selfish and don't belong on this team?" Clint and Bruce shook their head. Thor held up his hands in surrender.

"I do not want to be involved in your petty Midgardian arguments. I have no reason to criticize any member of this team." Natasha, however, remained silent and impassive. Bruce spoke first.

"Steve, think about what you're saying. He flew a nuke into space. He was prepared to die for all of us. Is that selfish?" Steve snorted.

"Anyone would have done that. I'm not belittling it. But everyone would agree that the life of one man in exchange for millions is rather reasonable, yes? Whatever," he suddenly cut himself off, "This is not the time for this. We have to go report to Fury that we botched a mission just because someone can't control their machinery. Or themselves." Tony glared and opened his mouth to respond, but Natasha cut him off.

"Enough, you two," She said sharply. "We need to fix things with Fury and then you two can kill each other, I don't care. But just control yourselves for 10 minutes and then you can do whatever the hell you want. Am I understood?" Steve nodded politely, still looking angry. Tony, on the other hand, barely jerked his head. He was still seething.

How dare Rogers imply that he wasn't good enough for this team. He gave them practically everything; money, shelter, food, and even enhanced weapons.

What did Steve offer them? A fat mouth that loved to boss people around?

Steve Rogers would pay for that.

He would pay big-time.

* * *

**Yeah, the team fell apart. ****_Again._**** But Steve and Tony will not like each other for a long time. It was obvious they had issues (conflicting personalities don't go well together, obviously) and it's not realistic that they immediately become a perfect family.**

**Sorry if that's what you expected. :)**

**Yeah. So until next time! :)**

**Remember to leave a nice little review! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

"Rogers, what the hell happened?! I need a full report, _now."_ Fury stated, fixing him with his no-nonsense stare. Rogers nodded and sent a pointed glare towards Tony, who just rolled his eyes.

"Well, director, we had the scientist. But then the vigilante over there decided that death would be better than questioning him and learning his knowledge." Fury turned to Tony. He spit out a quick "explain", forcing himself not to kick his ass before he understood the situation.

"It wasn't me. He activated the automatic firing system. He went boom. I'm getting blamed. And we're focusing on the wrong thing. He wasn't infecting people with that; he injected himself and then made copies. Your information was totally wrong. Who even gave you that?" Fury ignored him and turned to survey the rest of the team.

"Alright, I sent out a cleanup crew. Good work, Avengers. Go rest." Tony turned and stormed out of his office without a backward glance or goodbye.

Fury sighed. Honestly, this team was going to be the death of him. Literally.

* * *

"JARVIS, run the tests on the suits. I want to know if it's safe enough to fly home." the AI performed a quick scan on the suit.

"All controls are fully functional, sir. I believe you can travel home with ease. The pieces flew to him, encasing him in red and gold armor.

"JARVIS, take me to Stark Towers," Tony said, preparing his thrusters. JARVIS politely interrupted him.

"Pardon me, Sir, I believe you meant the Avengers Tower. Captain Rogers and Director Fury believed that it was an apt name for the tower. And sir, it was approved by Ms. Virginia Potts. You claimed that major decisions may be approved by her as well." Tony groaned.

"Ergh. A traitor in our midst. Fine JARVIS. Just take me to the tower."

* * *

Pepper was waiting for him in their suite. She smiled brightly when she saw Tony (sans armor).

"Oh, I can't believe you didn't even get hurt thi-" She was cut off by Tony's lips on hers. She moaned and threaded her hands through his hair.

"Tony- Oh, am I interrupting something?" Steve asked from the doorway. Pepper quickly replied with a "no" the same time Tony replied with a vehement "yes".

"Tempted by the show, Rogers?" Steve blushed lightly. He coughed and shook his head.

"Erm, no. Just wanted to say that we have team training tomorrow morning." Tony laughed mockingly. Team training? Absolutely not.

"It wasn't my idea, Tony. And it's not like you couldn't use a few hours working out." Tony narrowed his eyes as Pepper giggled.

"Are you calling me _fat?"_

* * *

"TONY EDWARD STARK! If you are not up in the next 5 _seconds, _I will not be sleeping with you for the next week!" Pepper shouted angrily. She had been trying to wake him up for about half an hour, and now she was running late for her-actually his-meeting.

He shot up and rubbed his eyes. He blearily looked around for her and smiled when he found her.

"I'm up, mother. Don't be so cruel. Plus, we know who really can't last a week." She shook her head and pointed to the bathroom.

"Up. Now. Or I'll hide the coffeemaker you love. And I _know_ you cannot survive without that." He groaned and dragged his heavy feet to the bathroom.

* * *

The rest of the team had already started by the time Tony had trudged into the gym.

Steve and Clint were in muscle shirts, showing off their, well, muscles. Thor would have probably dwarfed them, but he had left last night. Plus, it wasn't really the poor guy's fault. The God's muscles had muscles.

Bruce was in a baggier shirt and sweatpants and was off in a corner meditating. Natasha, on the other hand, was wearing a tight bodysuit. Her (now a little past shoulder length) red curls were held back in a high ponytail and her boots (for the first time Tony had ever seen) didn't have giant heels. She was off in the shooting range. Steve was getting friendly with the punching bags and Clint was slowly inching towards the state-of-the-art archery range.

Tony clapped his hands to get their attention, then immediately regretted it.

Natasha had turned away from the shooting range, pointing the gun right at Tony, who threw up his hands. She lowered it much too slowly for his liking. Was she really considering shooting him anyway? Tony swallowed his panic and turned to the rest of the group.

"Good morning team," he grunted before heading straight towards the treadmill. He figured an easy jog would be the easiest thing for him to start with since he absolutely had to work out.

15 minutes later, Bruce came over and turned on the treadmill next to Tony's.

"Hey Tony." He smiled gently. Tony nodded back, trying not to breathe too hard. He really needed to run more. This was just sad.

The team continued working out in silence. Tony groaned when he removed his headphones.

'Was the team destined to only talk on the battlefield?' he wondered before slamming his headphones back on.

* * *

Steve looked around, desperately trying to fix the situation. He considered giving up. This team simply did not want to get to know each other.

'Steve Rogers, you are Captain freaking America,' he mentally scolded himself, 'if you can defeat an army of aliens, then you can definitely fix this… situation. Now get up and go start a team exercise.' Steve mentally nodded back at himself.

Wow, he had pretty good pep talks.

He rose off the floor and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. And just like Tony, he immediately regretted it.

Because this time, Natasha's gun was pointing at his head and Clint's arrows were notched, ready to pierce his throat. And worst of all, Bruce's eyes flashed green.

"Alright, let's try a team exercise?" He squeaked fearfully. He didn't really want to die by his teammate's hands. Quite embarrassing. Tony wouldn't have let him live it down.

Speaking of Tony, the multibillionaire had not ceased jogging. He probably didn't hear him, thanks to the 'noise-cancelling', music playing mufflers.

"Tony," Steve repeated loudly. Tony threw him a look and pulled off his headphones. The music could be clearly heard.

"Yes?" He huffed. Steve rolled his eyes. He motioned to the hi-tech running machine. In his days, they just ran around the neighborhood, not in place.

"Er, you can turn that off now. We're going to be doing a team exercise." Steve said, motioning to everyone else.

"Okay, whatever you say. I live to serve you, don't I?" Steve's eyes widened in irritation.

"Just get over here." He growled out, hands clenching into fists. Tony walked unreasonably slowly to the center of the hi-tech gym.

"How about we just start off easy? Like, yoga?" Bruce nodded, while the two assassins shrugged carelessly. Steve turned to Tony, who's lips tilted upward slightly.

"Go team," was all he said. Steve scowled.

* * *

"Did SHIELD remove all of the bones in your body?" Tony struggled out to Natasha, who cracked a small smile.

"I used to do gymnastics. Plus, flexibility is sort of a job requirement. Never know when you need to dodge a bullet." She and Clint shared a secret smile while Tony rolled his eyes.

"Right, right. Rogers, how about you?" Tony was desperately fishing for conversation. Steve barely looked up.

"Serum," he grunted. Tony scowled. Of course the serum gave him everything he needed. He shook his head slightly and turned to Bruce, raising his eyebrows.

"Now, what's your excuse?" He whined. The doctor smiled dryly.

"Practice," he said, unwinding himself from his pretzel position, "lots of practice."

Tony sighed. Even the other nerdy doctor was in better physical shape than he was.

Damn.

"Alright, that's enough for today. Why don't we schedule these 3 times a week?" Steve replied, slowly unwinding from his tree position. Tony snorted.

"Sorry, Cap. I, unlike you, have a life." Steve instantly fired back.

"Well, I, unlike you, just want this team to succeed." Tony rolled his eyes.

"Yep, you got me. I'm just dying to see this team fail. Never mind that I'm on the team." He replied sarcastically, shaking his head dramatically. Clint chuckled and Bruce just shook his head at the conversation.

"Whatever. Let's just meet here again for our team workout in two days. And believe me," he looked straight at Tony, "Next time won't be as easy."

'Oh I'm pissing into my designer socks,' Tony thought disgustedly. Honestly, what kind of a threat was that?

* * *

Turns out, it was a very valid and painful threat. Tony grunted with exertion as he tried to run/climb the extremely steep 'hill'. Steve's brilliant idea for team bonding and exercising was to hike up a random mountain. The big kind.

Tony made a mental note to tell JARVIS to mess with the controls in Steve's apartment for the next few decades. What the hell was wrong with this man?

As horribly embarrassing it was when confronting aliens, the team did have 'mere mortals'. Well, one. Bruce was _not _the average humans, and Clint and Natasha were practically machines. And Steve was a mutant mortal and Thor-well, Thor was pretty much the exact _opposite _of a mortal, wasn't he?

"Tony, let's go! This is just the first part!" Steve called down from where he was pacing. The first rest point. Tony panted harder and ignored him.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Tony nearly collapsed as he reached the top of the last mountain. He lay there, panting slightly. Bruce, taking pity on him, handed him a water bottle.

Steve held out a hand hesitantly. He smiled sightly when Tony took it.

"Good job. You worked hard." Tony merely nodded in return. He didn't know what Steve was playing at, but he was simply too tired to care.

* * *

Tony collapsed onto the bed, shaking with exhaustion and soreness. He groaned, partly in pain and relief. Relief because his body was relaxing a little, and pain because, well, his body had begun relaxing and he felt every little ache.

Pepper came out of the bathroom. Her initial reaction had been amusement, but it slowly faded to worry. She held out some pills.

"Here," she said, handing him a tall, cold glass of water, "This is for the pain and to help you sleep." He groaned and lifted his head slightly.

"thanks," he mumbled, turning his head back. She kissed his cheek.

"I'm really proud of you for taking this seriously. Thank you," She said, untying her robe and slipping in next to him.

"Pepper…" he groaned, stretching out the word to an obscene length. She smiled and turned to him.

"Yes?" With great effort, he turned his head and gave her the smallest of smiles.

"I love you, you crazy bat." She smiled and closed her eyes, pulling herself closer to him.

"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?" She asked, playfully resting her head on the arc reactor.

"I guess so, Ms. Potts."

* * *

**Yes, I know. I know it's a filler, and a rather boring one. **_**I know. **_**But I have giant Writer's Block and I'm so busy with school and ugh. Sorry guys. I just wanted to say that I love each and every one of you who reviewed, followed and favorited! Maybe we could get this story to 100 reviews? Would that be too much to ask? :) I love you all so much! Until next time! **

**P.S. This chapter was brought to you by a very special Pumpkin Spice Latte and a very demanding computer.**

**What's your favorite drink? **

**-A.A**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

**The real action begins! :* Also, please review! Can we get this story to 100 reviews please?!**

**Happy Reading!**

* * *

Tony groaned, rolling over. The team had been doing extreme exercises all week. Yesterday, they had just gone for a 'refreshing' 5-mile run. His feet were _killing _him.

It probably didn't help his mood that he was too tired for any 'nighttime activities' with Pepper.

God, exercise just sucked.

He slowly pushed himself up onto one arm. He surveyed the room, dully noting that Pepper was gone. She had gotten a lot busier over the last few days, meaning she had less time for him and more time for the stupid meetings she was being forced to rush into.

Corporate businesses just sucked too. Especially when they stole Pepper from him.

He gingerly raised himself out of bed, trying not to groan as his muscles tightened involuntarily.

"JARVIS, start the coffeemaker. And a double shot of espresso." He slowly made his way to the kitchen, not wanting to strain any more of his poor muscles.

he eased gently into the chair with a cup of coffee, sighing as he relaxed into the cushions, greedily sipping his hot beverage.

'I wonder what to work on today, considering that half of my body is out of commission,' he mused. Meanwhile, Clint quietly slipped in and began to shamelessly search the fridge.

"Hey Tony." He said, not pausing in his quest for food. Tony nodded back up, smirking slightly.

"Nice to see you too." Clint smiled and turned back to the fridge. Tony finished his cup of coffee while Clint fixed himself a decent breakfast.

"Hey, Tony." He looked up at Clint, who was looking at him with a little concern and a lot of discomfort.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, fidgeting nervously with his bowl of cereal. Tony shrugged carelessly, trying not to wince.

"I'll survive. It's not that bad compared to when I, you know, fell out of the sky and shit." Clint shrugged, silently agreeing. For a master assassin, he wasn't really good at masking his feelings of discomfort around Tony.

"Okay. I just remember how sore I used to be when I began training. I know how hard it must be for you." Tony nodded shortly. He wasn't good with feelings, even with Pepper. And he was definitely not open to discussing his weaknesses with a master spy/assassin. He was reckless, but he wasn't naive or stupid.

"I'll get used to it. Thanks Barton." He turned to leave, hoping that he could get out before they began hugging or braiding each other's hair or something.

But he'd be lying if he said he didn't appreciate the thought.

* * *

He checked his suit again. He had revamped it once more. Instead of triggering a blaster, the action of being grabbed would cause the suit to emit an electric shock that would temporarily disable the manhandler of his precious suit.

Tony mentally patted himself on the back for that one. He heard JARVIS's warning that Pepper was home, and quickly hastened into the shower. Well, he basically just limped as fast as he could to his giant bathroom.

He quickly changed into a clean pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, carefully arranging his hair. He grinned as she entered his suite, looking tired but as beautiful as ever.

"Ahh, Ms. Potts. You work way too hard," he chided playfully while advancing on her. He tried not to flinch when he stumbled.

She saw anyway. Shaking her head, she crossed the threshold and kissed his cheek.

"Well, Mr. Stark, I am doing a workload of co-CEO's. Don't worry, I knew what I was going to have to do when I accepted the job offer. Anyway, how are you feeling?" She dropped the playful secretary act and switched to mothering mode so fast that Tony was dizzy. He shrugged.

"I've gone from feeling like utter shit to complete crap?" He said casually trying to lean in for another kiss. A _proper _kiss. Pepper let his lips rest on hers for a second before pulling away again.

"Okay, well, I was going to force you to attend the team dinner, but I guess I'll just have to go in your place. _As usual,_" she muttered the last part quietly with a teasing smile. He nearly groaned in relief.

"This is why I feel in love with you, Pepper. But who even organized this team meeting? Because it sure as hell wasn't me-" He broke off in midsentence, glaring at her.

"It was _you._" She smirked and turned around, heading into the bathroom.

"Maybe, maybe not," she replied, childishly sticking out her tongue at him. He stared long after she had closed the door.

How did he ever deserve a woman so perfect?

* * *

"Hello everyone. Sorry I'm late. I just want to apologize for Tony's absence; He's not feeling well enough to attend dinner tonight." Surprisingly enough, nobody except for Bruce seemed to mind too much about Tony's well-being.

"I hope he feels well enough to attend next week's dinner then. What are we eating tonight?" Clint asked, not bothering to disguise his hunger. Natasha rolled her eyes, and Pepper just smiled.

So much like Tony. She flashed her 'CEO Smile' and nodded, smoothing down her black knee-length dress.

"Of course. The place I chose for tonight is Italian. It's a fancy little place called Bella. It's delicious, and the decor is absolutely delightful. We'll be getting a private room in the back. Now, our limo's waiting for us outside. Shall we go?" The group nodded ratehr enthusiastically.

Apparently, the key to the superhero groups' hearts was food. Wow. Guess that never changed.

Good thing the chitauri weren't armed with Nutella. Or god forbid, coffee.

* * *

Dinner was a pleasant affair. The group chatted amiably and there weren't as many ungodly awkward silences as before. Pepper smiled around at the table and motioned for the check, which was immediately brought to her.

"We won't be eating Dessert here. I know a wonderful little Ice cream place that I can't resist. Does that sound good?" The group nodded. Judging by the amazing meal they had just been served, Pepper knew her food. And she knew it well.

* * *

"Alright, what do you guys want? It's a bit crowded inside, so I'll get us all the ice creams and we can just sit outside and enjoy them. How does that sound?" Steve jumped up.

"I'll help you carry them." She nodded, smiling gratefully. Clint, Natasha, and Bruce wandered off to find a table in the little park near the shop.

As they walked in, Steve held the door open for her and gently shut it behind her.

"So, What did you want to ask me about?" Pepper inquired. He widened his eyes, surprised that she knew his real motives.

"Er, well, Ms. Potts, I am sure you are aware of how the Avengers aren't exactly an all-star team as of right now." She chuckled, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, I am. And Steve please, just call me Pepper. I honestly don't mind. And how does this involve me?" She asked. He scratched the back of his neck and blushed.

"Well, you, obviously, are closest to Tony Stark. And excuse my language, mi- Pepper, but he seems hell-bent on not getting along with me. Is there anything I could do to, uh, close that gap between us and potentially improve our teamwork?" She inclined her head, deep in thought.

"So, you're basically asking me for tips on how to handle Tony Stark?" She asked bluntly. He nodded seriously.

"Yes. Yes I am." She looked up and down, silently appraising him. She finally motioned to the ice creams on the counter.

"Grab some of those. We've got a lot of discussing to do. Tell you what, after we all finish our ice creams, you and I can go discuss this in an all-night Diner or coffee shop. This will take a _very _Long time."

* * *

"Okay, Steve. I'm about to give you a crash course on Tony Stark 101: Do's and Don't's. Alright? But you first must _swear _that you will not repeat this information to anyone. Okay? Thank you. First things First: Do not, under any circumstances, mention his family. Especially Howard." Steve looked up in shock from his coffee.

"What? Why? Howard was a _great_ man. He would never-" Pepper cut him off.

"But Howard did. He was so obsessed with his work that he never paid his own son any attention. So honestly, if you ever want a chance to get along with Tony, _do not mention Howard Stark to him. _End of story." Steve nodded, properly chastised by her sharp words. Pepper softened a little.

"I didn't mean to snap at you Steve. It's just a sensitive subject for me as well. The reason why Tony can be a bit… Well, like how he is, is because that's the only thing he's ever seen. Howard was his only model. And as much as he hates it, he exhibits Howard's attitude towards him to other people. He may have grown up with the best of everything, but he could never have shared it with anyone." She stirred her coffee slowly.

"That's why he spends so much time with his machines. They've always-" SHe broke off slightly before recovering, "been there for him. When no one else was." She closed her eyes for a moment, then re-opened them. They shined with old anger and determination.

"So yes, Howard Stark may have been a good friend, but he was not ready to be a father. I'm sorry Steve." Steve nodded, setting his jaw determinedly.

"Please continue." And so Pepper did.

* * *

"Thank you so much, Pepper. I think you probably just saved the Avengers. I owe you a lot." Steve repeated, smiling at the beautiful Strawberry blonde. She squeezed his arm.

"No, thank you, Steve. No one has ever even cared enough about Tony to come and ask me on how to get along with him. You're a great captain. and apparently, a better friend." He smiled and guided her through the back alley they were taking as a shortcut to the tower. Since their coffee shop was only 2 blocks away from the tower, they made Happy go home, figuring they wouldn't need a limo for such a short distance.

They didn't mind a little exercise. They chatted quietly while walking through the abandoned alleyway.

They didn't hear the quiet footfalls behind them. That is, until it was too late. Steve stopped in the middle of the abandoned street and cocked his head.

"That's funny. Do you hear-" He was promptly cut off as an iron bat connected with his skull. Pepper opened her mouth, prepared to cry out until she felt strong hands on her waist that pulled her away from Steve. She struggled and screamed, trying to break free of the tight hold. However, the grip didn't break. The attacker was too strong. She quickly reached for her bag, trying to reach for anything, anything that would help her.

Or help Steve. Her stomach turned over when she saw a hint of red spreading through his blond hair. However, the man tore her clutch from her hand and forced her hands behind her back.

She only heard the attacker's cruel laugh before a cool cloth was pressed to her face and she fell into a black hole of nothingness…

* * *

**Squeeee! Yay for cliffies. Ah, they make me feel so good inside! Ah, thanks for the reviews everyone! **

**So check this out: Apparently, all of the emails from fanfiction have been going straight to spam, which is riddikulus (sorry, couldn't resist). So I've basically been out of the know for a whole month. So to everyone who reviewed, thank you so much! I've been reading them and I'm working on replying to them… I don't spend much time answering reviews anymore though… I spend every minute of extra time writing for this… I'll try to reply whenever I have the time! **

**I just wanted you to know that I've been reading them and appreciating them. They truly warm my ravenous little heart. But do you think it's possible that we could get over 105 reviews this chapter? Please? *hopeful and cute Hulk eyes***

**I'll update as soon as I can! But you know, Life may bitch out on me… **_**Again. **_

**Until next time! **

**-A.A**


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